On 29 July 2018, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, inaugurated a 400 KV electric power station for the Bazian area of Sulaimani Province. A joint project of the KRG Ministries of Electricity and Natural Resources, the Korean National Oil Company (KNOC), and the South Korean steel company Posco, the Bazian power station is part of a wider strategic plan to make Kurdistan’s energy output more sustainable for consumption. The Bazian power station comes less than a year after the completion of the 300 megawatt Khabat Thermal Power Plant in Khabat, Erbil.
In addition to the development of the Kurdistan regional power grid, the KRG is introducing smart-meters into Kurdistan’s homes to make electrical distribution across Kurdistan-Iraq more efficient. The advanced electrical metering system will allow the government to better monitor grid management, to improve demand response techniques, and reduce the number of electricity outages. At the same time, the smart-meters will allow consumers to more accurately monitor their energy habits enabling them to adjust their energy usage and thus reduce energy waste.
Other private energy investment projects are expected in Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok, Halabja and other areas across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.